Ampalaya Con Yorme, ‘Takot Sa Babae’: Analyst Says 3 Presidential Bets’ Attempt To Get Attention Goes Awry

The press conference of three presidential candidates on Sunday, April 17, drew various reactions on social media after they revealed supposed attempts by the camp of their rival Vice President Leni Robredo to force them to withdraw from the race.

One netizen posted on Facebook on Monday, April 18, that the “menu” at The Manila Peninsula in Makati City on Sunday where the event was held included “AMPALAYA CON YORME WITH QUAIL EGGS,” apparently referring to Manila Mayor Isko Moreno. Yorme, or mayor in Filipino reversed, is Moreno’s colloquial name while bitter gourd is associated with people who are spiteful.

The satirical menu is making the rounds on social media and chat rooms along with other memes and jokes on “supreme sacrifice” and the holding of an “emergency press conference” after Moreno, Sen. Panfilo Lacson and former defense secretary Norberto Gonzales criticized the alleged raiding of their teams by Robredo’s allies.

Moreno also called on Robredo to be a hero and make the supreme sacrifice by withdrawing from the presidential race. Lacson, Gonzales distanced themselves from Moreno’s call for Robredo to back out.

“NCAA teams to hold emergency press conference” went around as “breaking news,” claiming that six colleges in the National Collegiate Athletic Association are calling for current number two San Beda to “make the supreme sacrifice and lose all their remaining games” so the other teams “have better chances of beating current No. 1 team The Letran Knights in the finals.”

A message went around on Viber saying that “DLSU (De La Salle University), NU (National University) & FEU (Far Eastern University) are set to hold a press conference around 11.30 a.m. today at MOA Arena. Details are unclear but inside sources say that they will ask #2 team UP to make the supreme sacrifice in order that they can beat Ateneo [de Manila University].”

Ateneo is currently unbeaten and in the lead in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines or UAAP tournament, with UP in second spot with one loss.

Comedian Leo Martinez also released a video on Sunday where he reprised his role as “Congressman Manhik Manaog” in the defunct TV program “Mongolian Barbecue” and said it was a “shame” that the three men appeared to be afraid of women or “takot sa babae.”

Netizens also criticized Moreno for being misogynistic when he said it was quite difficult for them to attack Robredo because she is a woman. Others said the move of the three candidates backfired.

Moreno’s photo with former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. likewise surfaced as critics questioned why he, Lacson and Gonzales opted to target Robredo instead of Marcos, who is leading the presidential race if pre-election surveys were to be believed.

Moreno told reporters on Monday, April 18, that the photo was taken in February 2021 during the reopening of the Emerald Restaurant in Manila, denying insinuations that he has teamed up with Marcos.

“It’s a public gathering. I’m a mayor. I’m happy that one businessman invested in the city to open a struggling restaurant called Emerald Restaurant. I cut the ribbon, and then officiated a surprise wedding,” Moreno said.

For political analyst and University of the Philippines Department of Political Science professor Jean Encinas Franco, the press conference of Moreno, Lacson and Gonzales left a bad impression when the event was obviously meant only to attract attention.

However, their different intentions surfaced when they started answering questions from the media.

“Ang tingin ko, all of them wanted attention. ‘Yun lang ang tingin ko kung bakit gusto nilang magsama-sama at pumayag yung isa't-isa. Pero magkakaiba sila ng intention (I think all of them wanted attention. That’s what I think why they banded together, but you will see that they had different intentions,” she told “One Balita Pilipinas” on One PH on Monday.

“Kasi very general ‘yung press statement nila pero noong nagka-Q and A na ‘yung media makikita mo ‘yung hugot. Doon mo makikita na iba ‘yung intention nila sa press conference (The press statement was very general but during the question and answer from the media, you will see where they’re coming from. There you will see they have different intentions),” she added. – With Marc Jayson Cayabyab